Washing-machine.



No. 863,370. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907. W. 0. FAWKES.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION iILED JULY so. 1906.

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PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

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W. G. PAWKES. WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I'ILIID JULY so 1906 NORRIS FE sRs WILBERT G. FAWKES, OFMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WASHING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed July 30,1906. Serial No. 328,285.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBERT O. FAWKES, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to washing machines of the rotary type and theobject of the invention is to provide an improved driving connectionbetween the tub and the rotating rubber shaft, whereby greaterefficiency and ease of operation is obtained.

A further object is to provide a connection for the spring usuallyemployed on washing machines of this type whereby it will be put undertension to check the momentum of the tub only during the last part ofthe stroke.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a vertical sectional view of a wash tub embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on theline xx of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the tub rotated fromthe position in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the drivinggear between the tub and the rubber shaft. Fig. 6 is a detail viewshowing operating handles mounted on the rubber shaft so that power canbe applied directly to this shaft instead of to the tub. Fig. 7 is asectional view on line yy of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, 2 represents a tub having the usual corrugated bottom 3and provided on its under side with a gear 4 inclosing a ball bearing 5which supports the tub on a leg bracket or base 6. This bracket has adepending centrally arranged stud 7 and legs 8. A rubber shaft 9 iscentrally mounted in the stud 7 and extends up through the gear 4 andthe bottom of the tub and through a sleeve 9 mounted on said bottom. Theupper end of the shaft extends above the corresponding end of the sleeve9 and is secured to a sleeve 11 by a pin 11 (see Fig. 6). The sleeve 11has a squared upper end and is loosely mounted on the sleeve 9 andadapted to turn thereon with the shaft 9, and a rubber 10 is carried bysaid sleeve 11 and has a vertical movement thereon as usual in washingmachines of this kind (see Fig. 7), numeral 10 indicating ribs on thesleeve 11 fitting within guides 10 on the rubber. Arms 12 having handles13 are provided and adapted to be fitted on the squared end of thesleeve 11 for convenience in rotating the shaft back and forth insteadof oscillating the tub by means of the handles. By providing the arms onthe rubber shaft, the user of the machine is able to rotate the tub byoperating the shaft or reverse the operation and rotate the tub tooperate the shaft and rubber. On the lower end of the rubber shaft 9 Iprovide a bevel gear 15 rigidly secured and adapted to rotate in ahorizontal plane and having its teeth in engagement with a gear 16mounted at 17 on the leg bracket and engaging the teeth of the gear 4 onthe under side of the tub. When the tub is rotated in one direction thismovement will be transmitted by the gears 15 and 16 to the rubber shaftto rotate it and the rubber head in the opposite direction. The gearsare made of sufficient size so that the desired speed and ease ofmovement is obtained.

The gear 4. is smaller than the gear 15 and consequently the tub willrotate faster and farther than the rubber heads. This is desirable in amachine of this type as it renders it much easier of operation withoutdetracting from its efficiency.

I have found by providing this system of gearing that any desiredrelative movement and speed of the tub and rubber head may be obtained.

For the purpose of checking the momentum or inertia of the tub when nearthe limit of its stroke and aiding the operator to reverse its movement,I provide a lever 18 loosely mounted on the lower end of the stud 7concentric with the tub and having its outer end connected to one end ofthe spring 19 whose opposite end is attached at 20 to thebottom of thetub. Lugs 21 are provided on each side of the center of the gear 15 andadapted to engage the lever 18 when the tub is rotated and is near thelimit of its stroke, for the purpose of put ting the spring 19 undertension and checking the movement of the tub, and aiding the operator toreverse its motion. The lugs are arranged a sufficient distance apart toallow sufiicient travel of the tub before the spring is put undertension.

A sliding bar 22 is provided on the bottom of the tub in position toengage a stop 23 on the leg bracket for the purpose of locking the tubagainst oscillation.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a tub, of a leg bracket having suitable legsand a central bearing for said tub, a gear centrally secured to theunder side of said tub, a rubber shaft extending vertically through thebottom of said tub and through said gear and leg bracket, a rubber headmounted on said shaft, a gear secured to the lower end of said shaftbelow the said leg bracket and of greater diameter than the gear on saidtub, a gear journaled on said leg bracket and meshing with the gear onsaid tub and the gear on said shaft, and operating in a plane at anangle to both said tub and shaft gears whereby when said tub isoscillated said shaft and rubber head will be moved also at a slowerspeed and a less distance, substantially as described, and for thepurpose specified.

2. The combination, with a tub, of a supporting base or bracket havingsuitable legs, a gear centrally mounted on the under side of said tub, arubber shaft extending vertically through the bottom of said tub andsaid bracket,

:1 rubber head mounted on said shaft, a gear secured to the lower end ofsaid shaft, a gear mounted on said bracket and revolving in asubstantially vertical plane and meshing with the gears on said shaftand said tub, whereby the oscillation of said tub will be transmitted tosaid shaft and a spring device arranged to be put under tension onlywhen said tub is near the limit of its stroke, for the purposespecified.

3. 'lhe combination, with a tub, and a supporting leg casting or brackethaving suitable legs, of a shaft extending vertically through the centerof said tub, a rubber head mounted on said shaft, a gear secured to saidtub concentric with said shaft, a second gear mounted on the lower endof said shaft and having upwardly extending lugs upon opposite sides ofits center, a gear mounted on said leg casting and meshing with thegears on said tub and shaft whereby the movement of either said tub orshaft will be transmitted to the other, a lever loosely mounted abovesaid shaft gear and in the path of said lugs and a spring attached atone end to said lever and at its other end to said tub, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a washing machine, the combination, with a tub and a supportingbrace or bracket having suitable legs, of a rubber shaft 9 centrallymounted in said tub, a rubber head 10, a sleeve 11 supporting saidrubber head and having a squared upper end secured to said shaft 9 andinclosing the same, a gear mechanism connecting the lower end of saidrubber shaft with said tub, whereby movement of either will drive theother, arms having suitable handles detachably mounted on the squaredend of said sleeve and suitable handles provided on said tub.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of July1906.

WILBERT C. FAWKES.

Witnesses RICHARD PAUL, J. B. Eva

